The "Duluth Model Power and Control Wheel" attributes domestic violence to male oppression of women. This is gender-polarizing, as we point out in the MenWeb article What's Wrong with the "Duluth Model"?. MenWeb has modified a model developed by Tom Graves, which he calls an inverted model, designed for female perpetrators and homosexual male perpetrators of domestic violence.

It says there is only one cause for domestic violence, and only one solution.

There's no real evidence it works.

It ignores domestic violence by women.

Women who need help can't get it.

It's taught by "wounded healers."

It's a gender-polarizing approach that only serves to perpetrate the "battle of the sexes."

It assumes that violence is, in essence, 'male'.

There is an implicit refusal - and in practice generally an
explicit refusal - to acknowledge any violence done to
men, especially by women.

All responsibility for reducing violence and for creating
co-operation is assigned to men - which in effect denies women
any power to change their own circumstances, and consequently
keeps them trapped in a subordinate 'victim' role.

The methodology is intended to create responsible attitudes
by challenging existing behaviour: yet programmes are often presented
to men by women in a blaming, punitive environment, which is immediately
counter-productive.

Suggested Revisions (Graves)

These problems are addressed in the following suggested revision
of the Duluth Wheel methodology.

Violence by both sexes is included in the discussion, by stating
that the different gendered forms of violence are opposite sides
of the same coin. Violence is acknowledged to be a human problem
with some socially-mediated gender-overtones, rather than a gender-problem
as such.

The problem of evasion of responsibility by attempting to
shift blame to 'the other' is resolved by stating that each person
only has responsibility for their own behaviour, but it
includes behaviour which may invite abuse by others, as well that
which is abusive of others. ...

Wherever practicable, programmes should be facilitated by
peers of the participants - people of the same sex, race and socio-economic
group. ...

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